Saggart's Python
by Chris Mortika with art produced by Bruce Heard
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 6* (L)
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 bite / 1 tail whip or lightning bolt
Damage: 2d6 + special / 2d4 / 3d6
No. Appearing: 1 (1)
Save as: Fighter 7
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: G + special
Intelligence: 7
Alignment: Lawful
XP Value: 520
Monster type: Construct (very rare)
The cleric Saggart had ambitious plans to build a great temple to her gods, and secured several caches of riches, both coin and exotic gems, in secure locations within two days' travel of her headquarters. As the years went on, she lost her way, and the collection of riches became an end to itself, the great construction it was to have funded fading from her consideration.
Assisted by her two elf followers, she used powerful spells and obscure alchemical formula to create lifelike beings to safeguard her caches. Even to this day, long after Saggart's passing, the guardians tirelessly secure her treasures from greedy invaders.
The typical guardian is assembled from the head of a fierce predator, such as a tiger or giant eagle, and the body of a great serpent. The builders augmented the physical bite and tail-whip attacks with magic.
The sapphire gems in the creature's eye sockets allow it to Detect Invisible intruders, and have a 25% chance to detect ethereal creatures. The guardian is programmed to attack invisible intruders immediately and in preference to all other foes.
The python's fangs are enchanted to allow attacks against ethereal beings with a 25% miss chance, and to create a fear effect identical to Drums of Panic, as an automatic rider effect the first time each day it successfully damages a target with its bite.
If there are intruders present, but outside of its reach, the guardian can cast a lightning bolt three times per day.
If the guardian is attacked and defeated, its eyes lose their magical abilities after an hour, but are still worth 200 gp as a matched pair. The fangs, if removed, may be fashioned by a skilled blacksmith as a pair of curved daggers. They function as +1 daggers, and retain their ability to effect attacks into the ethereal plane.
(The treasures this thing guards are perhaps already consecrated to the gods, who unlike their cleric, are still around. They may have something to say about a party stumbling across their temple's down payment and deciding to divert it to other pursuits.)
(On the other hand, if the party is in conflict with a ghost or other intangible opponent, servants of the gods may be willing to help the party: "We can take you to a hidden bunker, where you might find weapons to assist you against your spectral foes. In return, there is a small store of treasures there, assembled by our sister, may her soul find peace, and we would like them returned to our coffers.")